A blood-red sword light shot up from below, cleaving the night sky in two.

From a great distance, it resembled a crimson aurora—cruel and bizarre, yet dazzlingly spectacular.

On the reservoir bank.

Xiao Ye barely dodged a sword strike from Luo Xiu. A chill ran through her, but she didn't dare hesitate, immediately fleeing toward the distant forest. Her speed was incredible, like an arrow released from a bowstring, and in the blink of an eye, she vanished into the pitch-black night.

Is this the power of the sword after it's been drawn? It seems I underestimated it. Was it too soon to have him draw it now? Well, what's done is done. It's useless to have regrets.

As she was lost in thought, a red shadow suddenly flashed before her. A figure wreathed in a blood-red aura appeared, moving far faster than she could and blocking her path.

She came to an abrupt halt, crouching on the branch of a large tree, her expression grave as she watched the crimson figure.

The blood-red figure was, of course, Luo Xiu!

But this Luo Xiu seemed like a completely different person. In his blood-lit eyes, there was no emotional fluctuation, only endless killing intent, like a fiend that had crawled out from the sanguine sea of Hell.

"You lit a fire you cannot control. Therefore, what you are about to face—what the world is about to face—is my unending slaughter."

Luo Xiu stared at Xiao Ye indifferently, his voice hoarse. His words were cruel and cold, devoid of any emotion, as if he were nothing but a puppet, a talking puppet.

Xiao Ye's eyelids drooped. She held her sword across her chest with her right hand while her left remained hidden behind her. Between her index and middle fingers, a bright yellow talisman, covered in mysterious cinnabar sigils, materialized from thin air.

"Are you Luo Xiu, or the Sword Spirit?" she asked.

"I am no one, yet I am everyone," Luo Xiu uttered this strange phrase. Almost as the words left his mouth, he struck at Xiao Ye with his sword.

It was a simple, direct blow, yet it was also incomparably terrifying.

Xiao Ye reacted in a flash, leaping to the side. The instant she moved, the large tree where she had been standing was vertically split in two by the red sword light. That crimson slash did not dissipate, but instead stretched straight into the dark night.

Wherever it passed, all was cleaved in two.

"This filthy yet beautiful land once devoured countless lives. The grievances of those innumerable souls converged and ultimately gave birth to me.

"Mortals are skilled at weaving beautiful dreams from lies to cover up ugliness and cruelty. I will bathe this land in blood and tear apart those fraudulent dreams...

"Oh, and the ones who sealed me in this sword... I believe they all called me 'Dream and Asura.'"

Xiao Ye asked, "So you are the Sword Spirit?"

'Luo Xiu' retorted, "So, you filthy creatures attempt to control me? You want my power so you can commit your own ugly deeds?"

Xiao Ye remained silent.

'Luo Xiu' looked down at his own hands and said slowly, "This boy is not human. He seems to have been born immensely powerful, with incomparably noble blood flowing through his veins. But he will not live for long."

Xiao Ye said, "No matter how strong you are, you are now just a spirit. To put it plainly, you're a malevolent ghost. And since you're a ghost, you should be easy to deal with, because you can only act through a tangible body."

'Luo Xiu' said, "And yet, the irony is that when he drew the sword and released me, this malevolent ghost, he wasn't thinking of anyone else. He felt none of those beautiful, fraudulent emotions. He simply craved power to slaughter all his enemies.

"So, little girl, you must have miscalculated. This boy is selfish, but he is also genuine. He did not draw the sword for others; he fights only for himself.

"Under these circumstances, I will gain complete control of his body and become incomparably powerful."

As his words fell, Xiao Ye felt a crushing weight descend upon her. She was unable to move an inch, as if bound firmly by invisible shackles.

Then, she saw 'Luo Xiu' reach out and grasp at The Void. Her body flew toward him against her will.

He seized her by the throat, stating indifferently, "I am very satisfied with this body. At the same time, it is in terrible condition. Little girl, your physique is quite special. It seems to contain an energy this body urgently needs to absorb, an energy that can, to some extent, save this pathetic vessel."

Xiao Ye looked at him, her expression unreadable. "You want to possess this terrible body?"

"Yes, I do. But as you said, its condition is truly awful. So before I can possess it, I need to ensure it can survive."

The corner of Xiao Ye's mouth lifted slightly. "His illness is very severe. If you cannot cure him, you will perish along with him."

"I will not allow that to happen!"

RIP!

The next moment, a tremendous force ripped her clothes to shreds. 'Luo Xiu' threw her to the ground and said slowly, "I am merely a spirit, a being without flesh and blood. I cannot experience the act of procreation, nor do I know how it is done.

"Moreover, I have no interest in such physical sensations. In this world, only slaughter and destruction bring me pleasure.

"However, I can now feel that this body possesses that most primal instinct.

"Therefore, for what comes next, I will merely influence him and let him act on his own.

"Remember, do not try to resist. That will only bring you more pain."

Then, the red light in 'Luo Xiu's' eyes dimmed slightly. He regained a sliver of his own mind and let out a low growl. Pouncing on Xiao Ye like a frenzied beast, he grabbed her by the throat, spun her around, and pinned her firmly against the tree by the nape of her neck.

RIP! RIP!

Immediately after, with a few merciless tugs, the last of her clothes were torn away, the scraps scattering in the wind.

* * *

A long time passed.

Everything fell quiet.

Xiao Ye struggled to push Luo Xiu, who had passed out on top of her, away. Then, with great difficulty, she forced herself up from the ground.

HISS...

She drew a sharp breath, evidently enduring immense pain. Her legs trembled and felt weak. She staggered to a nearby tree, leaning on it to finally steady herself.

In the darkness of the night, her fair, tender skin was covered with fresh red scratches and bite marks. No one but her knew what cruel and violent treatment she had just endured.

Or perhaps, it was a form of abuse.

She looked at Luo Xiu calmly, then let out a soft sigh. Retrieving new clothes from her Storage Magical Treasure, she slowly began to dress.

Before long, Luo Xiu regained consciousness. He slowly opened his eyes and weakly sat up, his gaze toward Xiao Ye complex. During the ordeal, he had regained some of his senses but was unable to control his own body, so he knew, more or less, what he had done to her.

"How are you feeling?" Xiao Ye walked over, crouched in front of him, and gently caressed his face.

Luo Xiu's expression was complicated. He was about to speak but suddenly froze.

At that moment, Xiao Ye reached up and removed the mask from her face. At the same time, the blurriness in Luo Xiu's vision vanished, allowing him to see her exceptionally beautiful face with perfect clarity.

"You... you are..." Luo Xiu's gaze trembled, and he suddenly grew agitated.

Xiao Ye smiled faintly and said softly, "Silly boy, you don't recognize me? I suppose I don't hold a very important place in your heart, then."

Luo Xiu suddenly reached out, pulled her into his arms, and hugged her tightly.

Xiao Ye slowly closed her eyes, a smile on her face as she gently patted his back.

Luo Xiu choked out, "Second Senior Sister... how can it be you?"

Xiao Ye was, indeed, Luo Xiu's Second Senior Sister—Ai Hongye.

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